An electrical characteristics test of a device, e.g., an IC chip or the like, is carried out by using, e.g., a probe apparatus. The probe apparatus includes a probe card having a circuit substrate and a contactor support substrate for supporting a plurality of probe pins; a holding member installed to oppositely face the probe pins, for holding chips in which devices are formed; and a mounting table for adsorptively holding the holding member. Further, electrical characteristics of the devices are tested by bringing the probe pins into contact with electrodes of the devices and then applying electrical signals for the test from the probe pins to the electrodes.
In order to test the electrical characteristics of the devices properly, the chips need to be held at predetermined positions on the holding member. Therefore, it is suggested to use a chip holding member made of, e.g., ceramic that can be easily machined. It is further suggested that the holding member has accommodating portions for accommodating chips on a top surface of the holding member and suction holes for adsorptively holding the chips on a bottom surface of the accommodating portions. The suction holes are formed through the holding member and communicate with air suction paths (suction grooves) formed on a bottom surface of the holding member. Moreover, the holding member and the chips are sucked to be held on the mounting table by suction (Patent Document 1).
Patent Document: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H7-98361
While the holding member made of ceramic as described above can be easily manufactured, flatness of the holding member decreases and it cannot be made thin. Further, a manufacturing cost of the holding member increases.
Hence, the present inventors have attempted to use a holding member made of silicon or glass. The holding member made of silicon or glass is advantageous in that silicon or glass has higher flatness than that of ceramic, and it can be manufactured with a thin thickness and at a low cost while maintaining proper stiffness. Moreover, silicon has thermal conductivity higher than that of ceramic.
However, when the holding member is made of either silicon or glass, it is difficult to mechanically form a suction groove or the like having a complicated shape on the bottom surface of the holding member. Especially, when a thin holding member is directly machined, strength of the holding member becomes weak such that required stiffness cannot be maintained, thereby making it difficult to form the holding member in such complicated shape.